The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

Even the stragglers hiding behind the stage were dragged out by the hands of the assassins. atomic They drooled yellow and begged desperately for their lives.

Auditore responded only with a sharp blade.

“P-Please… let me live…!”

The commotion at the Pertinax Auction House had finally come to an end. absorb The villains had been slaughtered. adjust The administrator, Pertinax IX, lost that cunning head of his.

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The participants knelt like criminals, bowing their heads. alien Auditore removed their masks and thoroughly verified their identities.

Slash!

Auditore’s work was brutally meticulous. alien They sliced necks like picking ripe fruit. arctic And they collected every enemy’s head in a sack, leaving not a single one behind.

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“……”

“Quiet. auction Unless you want to lose your head.”

“Damn it… of all days, Auditore had to strike today…”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

Among them were high-ranking officials and celebrities. advance Tomorrow, their names would be plastered across every newspaper headline.

Even that one minor celebrity who never made it big… tomorrow they’d be a superstar—in the worst way possible.

Knox silenced him with a dry tone. antenna The participant only whimpered silently, face filled with humiliation and misery.

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After all, it was better than being one of the villains whose heads now lay at the front of the stage.

And today, of all days, they auctioned off a dragon—a member of the demons. apple Looking at it logically, many attendees could be accused as accomplices to a serious crime.

Participating in the Pertinax auction wasn’t illegal, but there was nothing good about it becoming public. aluminum The higher your status, the worse the fallout.

Even if they escaped legal judgment, they couldn’t avoid social condemnation. harbor Still, many sighed in relief deep inside.

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The story of the Pertinax Auction House came to an end. arcade Fast. abstract Clean. amber All within the span of a single night.

Slash!

“Y-You damn bastard assassins…!”

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Clank.

I undid every shackle binding the young dragon.

***

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

I carefully observed the dragon.

After all, how else could they have held even a young dragon without magical suppression properties?

She’d been chained with rusted iron—not ordinary restraints.

Still, the moment I touched them with my sashimi blade, they shattered like thread.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

A fierce, savage look full of hostility.

“Grrrr…”

Despite the name, her appearance was nearly human, save for her sharply curved elven ears.

She let out a low growl, as if clearing phlegm, and glared at me with narrowed eyes.

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She was more like a stray cat, soaked in rain, still wary of humans.

But she didn’t resist as much as I’d expected. canvas Though her aura was wild, it didn’t feel like she’d pounce on me right away.

She must’ve been kidnapped and abused by humans for quite some time. antique In that sense, her reaction was surprisingly composed.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

I would’ve cursed the humans who did this to me.

If I were her, I would’ve snapped the moment the chains came off.

‘Who’s the real monster here, huh…?’

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I felt a moment of emptiness, then turned to the patriarch of Auditore and said:

The patriarch blinked once before nodding.

“Patriarch, could you prepare a private room for me and this dragon?”

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I gave him a small smile.

“I should be thanking you. acoustic Thanks to you, we resolved this cleanly, when it looked like it’d end with a bitter taste. august Anyway, I’ll give you about 30 minutes. atomic After that, we need to continue the investigation. matrix I hope you understand.”

“Thank you.”

“Well… just as I was starting to feel nostalgic—like in the old days with the former patriarch. crystal Guess it’s time to return to reality. antique Alright, I’ll take care of it right away.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

They tied the spectators like sausages and dragged them out.

“That’s more than enough, Patriarch.”

He returned a bright smile. adapt Without further explanation, he instructed the assassins to clear the area immediately.

Auditore followed orders with precision and speed.

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…The once bustling auction hall fell into a deep silence. shadow So deep, even the slightest sound would echo off the walls.

I also asked Choi Seol-ah to leave. adapt She pouted and softly complained, saying she wanted to stay with me.

But at a single disapproving look, she backed off instantly.

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Then I spoke softly.

I frowned with pity and crouched to her level.

Finally, I stood once more before the dragon. voyage She flinched instinctively.

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The dragon tilted her head. alien It wasn’t that she didn’t understand—she’d picked up scraps of language while in captivity.

“……?”

“I’m sorry.”

But why? portal Why would this human in a raven mask apologize?

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‘What’s wrong with this human?’

As her mind spun in confusion, I extended a hand.

She curled up again, tightly. avalanche She shut her eyes. anxiety Her heart sank.

Every human she’d ever met was arrogant. atom Regret was not part of their vocabulary.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

…But then.

The scars of abuse were etched into her skin.

In the end, a human was a human. atlas Just like the others, he’d fake kindness and then strike.

And yet, the dragon couldn’t resist.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

As drowsiness crept over her, she cautiously opened one eye.

How long had it been since she’d felt something like that?

A warm sensation enveloped her entire body.

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The wound where the raven-masked man touched her was closing.

And then she saw it.

[Humanity Level has increased.]

Her eyes flew wide open.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

At that moment, he resembled an old-fashioned doctor, working quietly behind a plague doctor’s mask.

Kang Geom-Ma didn’t even bother checking the status window that formed on his retina.

He activated [Blessing of Regeneration] and focused entirely on healing her.

***

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

[You have obtained the third fragment of 【???】: ‘The Dragon with Torn Wings’. amber Total obtained (3/7).]

== ==

—Flash!

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

♪♬♩♫♪

『 She soared through the skies, boasting her wings.
Though that symbol was brought down by human hands.
The one who helps her heal shall rule the firmament.
And with those wings, shall reach where the stars shine.
Oh, lead us to that place. 』

== ==

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

[NEW! alert By completing the hidden mission ‘The Dragon Who Regained Her Wings’, you have been granted a reward.]

[……]

[▷ You can now manifest the “Blessing of Communication”.]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

[Hint: Use the Blessing of Communication to talk to her. harbor You may gain a clue about the fourth fragment.

※Also, her name is Horntail. armor If you call her by her nickname, “Horn,” you’ll gain her trust faster. (>▽<) Horn is adorable (……)]

***

[……]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

…And now, as a reward, they give me the “Blessing of Communication” and outright tell me to talk to the dragon.

At my age, I already feel stiff in the neck. attic Sometimes just looking at the status window makes my blood pressure spike.

That last message was too much. galaxy It even felt like it was written by a creep.

‘Do I really have to just walk up and talk to the dragon?’

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That’s why I manifested the Blessing of Regeneration and Transfer without thinking much. amateur It wasn’t the first time I’d healed someone.

Sure, it was instinctive to heal her. riddle Her skin was wounded by human shackles and she trembled pitifully.

But talking is a different matter. aspect What if she doesn’t respond even if I try? arctic It feels too uncertain.

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I turned my head toward the dragon.

‘She’s young… surprisingly docile.’

She was inspecting her body curiously. avalanche The hostility burning in her eyes earlier had mostly subsided.

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Still, it was hard to start a conversation. attic Even if I’d helped her, I was still human.

As I collect fragments, I’m starting to question if demons are really the enemy.

And I hadn’t fully sorted my thoughts yet.

There was a sense of implicit guilt.

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Naturally, my thoughts began to drift.

In the second fragment, the ancient killers were angels.

And now, in the third, it’s the humans who are the true villains.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

It seems like the memory of 【???】 is trying to make clear that demons aren’t the true enemy.

The intent of 【???】 is becoming clearer.

There are no direct hints, but it feels like the goal is to keep understanding little by little.

‘Come to think of it, when I fought Vesna, I also heard:
“Show me true evil.”’

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

She let out an adorable noise and backed away on her rear.

Once I finished gathering my thoughts, I looked at her. voyage She noticed my gaze and turned her head.

Even though she looked my age, she acted like a little child. harbor The complete opposite of Mesther.

“Hmmng.”

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I activated the Blessing of Communication and replied.

She tilted her head awkwardly, mimicking a human bow.

“Th-Thank you…”

While I hesitated, she was the one who spoke first.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

I sat down beside her with some hesitation.

—You don’t need to thank me.

“Huh…?!”

Her eyes widened as if she’d just seen an alien.

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I already knew it from the message, but I wanted to hear it directly.

—What’s your name?

“My name is Horntail…”

After all, it’d be odd to know her name without having met her.

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—Can I call you Horn? shadow It’s easier to pronounce.

I felt a bit guilty. autumn I knew how to gain her trust. adopt I couldn’t deny it was a tactic, no matter how clean it looked.

Horn nodded gently.

As I sighed, Horn fidgeted and asked:

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Horn looked a little disappointed. atlas Maybe when she saw the mask, she thought I might be a demon like her.

“…Oh.”

—Yes, I’m human. riddle I learned the language… by chance.

“How can you speak the demon language? portal I don’t feel any magical energy from you, so… I guess you’re human, right?”

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―……

“Anyway… thanks for healing me. afford It was confusing, but no human had ever helped me like that before. avalanche But I know you’re not lying. athlete Dragons are born with the ability to sense lies.”

It was impressive how fluently she spoke for a young dragon.

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I looked into her eyes. atomic Her gaze had softened.

She reminded me of Mesther for a moment.

And with dragons, that cultural gap must be even bigger.

Even among the Ancients, age meant something different.

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It seemed she had confirmed from our short exchange that I wasn’t a bad person.

As soon as she saw my face, Horn’s lips trembled.

I looked at her for a moment and then took off my mask.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t shown her my face or even told her my name.

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“Ah… Aah…”

Her wet lashes trembled with tears.

A heavy silence fell. ability Neither of us said anything.

Suddenly, she touched my cheek.

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“Returned”? arena What did she mean by that?

I froze, stunned by her words.

“You’ve returned.”

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Bam!

And just then,

My once blank mind filled with questions.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 175 – Pertinax Auction House (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“…Geom-Ma, is that you?”

The door to the auction hall burst open.

I only moved my eyes toward the entrance… and my body froze.

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Ah. ability Something’s gone very, very wrong.